Malta Council for Science and Technology Launch and Information Session National R&I Programme 2011 Launch and Information Session Eric Flask Director,

Malta Council for Science and Technology

National R&I Programme 2011

Launch Launch and Information Sessionand Information Session

Eric FlaskDirector, National Funding Unit

26 November 2010

26 Nov 102

Agenda

10:00 Welcome Coffee & Registration

10:15 National R&I Programme – Launch &Info SessionMr. Eric Flask, Director, MCST

11:15 Q&A Session

12:00 Closure

26 Nov 103

Outline

• National R&I Programme Overview

• R&I Programme 2011– Scope and Focus– Funding Modalities– Project Considerations– Evaluation Criteria– Submission & Timeframes

• Conclusion

• Q&A

26 Nov 104

National

Research & Innovation ProgrammeAn Overview

26 Nov 105

National R&I ProgrammeProgramme Participation

ProgrammeProgramme TotalProposals

RequestedFunding

Available Budget

TotalProjects Funded

RTDI 2004RTDI 2004 85 €7.0M €700K 15

R&I 2006R&I 2006 58 €7.0M €930K 7

R&I 2008R&I 2008 40 €5.4M €700K 7

R&I 2009R&I 2009 17 €1.5M €300K 3

R&I 2010R&I 2010 40 €5.8M €700K 5

26 Nov 106

The National R&I Programme Programme Objectives

2004 2004

ProgrammeProgramme

2006 2006

ProgrammeProgramme

2008 2008

ProgrammeProgramme

20092009

ProgrammeProgramme

20102010

ProgrammeProgramme

ThematicThematic No preference 4 priority sectors 4 priority sectors 4 priority sectors 4 priority sectors

FocusFocus Any Applied research, innovation

Collaborative research

Collaborative research

Collaborative research

ConsortiumConsortium Any Preference for industry-academia

Required industry + academia

Required industry + academia

Required industry + academia

AllocationAllocation Many small projects

Few large projects

Few large projects

(€50K - €200K)

Few large projects

(€50K - €100K)

Few large projects

(€50K - €200K)

Selection Selection criteriacriteria

Quality of science

Prospects for economic benefit

Balanced Balanced with emphasis on Potential Impact

Balanced with emphasis on Potential Impact

26 Nov 107

R&I Programme 2011Scope & Focus

26 Nov 108

The National R&I Programme Scope & Focus

• Financial support for research, development and innovation in Science and Technology

• Focus on technology transfer between:– Knowledge providers (Academic Institution)– Knowledge users (Industry)Technology transfer to fulfill genuine need (funding limits apply)

• Focus on 4 Priority Areas1. Environment and Energy Resources2. Information and Communications Technology 3. Value-added Manufacturing and Services4. Health and BioTech

26 Nov 109

State Aid

• Operates under de minimis state aid regime:– Projects in fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture ineligible– Industry to ensure they do not exceed allowable limit of aid

(€200K gross over 3-year period)– Necessary reporting required

• Complements Malta Enterprise scheme to promote R&D in industry

• Double funding not allowed – checks are conducted

26 Nov 1010

Participation

• Consortium– At least 2 participants, (a) an academic institution and (b)

industry– other partners may be included but must add value

• Maltese legal entities (academia, public, private, NGOs) eligible for funding

• Foreign entities eligible but not funded

• Project Coordinator must be Maltese legal entity

• Conflict with fundamental aim of Programme

26 Nov 1011

R&I Programme 2011Funding Modalities

26 Nov 1012

Funding Modalities

• Eligible Direct Costs– Technical and management personnel– Purchase of specialised equipment– Travel, networking, dissemination– Subcontracting (limit 25%)

• Eligible Indirect Costs– 10% of eligible costs, excluding subcontracting,

excluding equipment over €5,000

26 Nov 1013

Funding Modalities

• Eligible Direct Costs– Technical personnel– Project Management (limit 10%)Project Management (limit 10%)– Purchase of specialised equipment– Travel, networking, dissemination, externalizationexternalization– Subcontracting (limit 25%)

• Eligible Indirect Costs– 10% of eligible costs, excluding subcontracting,

excluding equipment over €5,000

26 Nov 1014

Funding Modalities

• Ineligible Direct Costs– Expenses related to loans, interest, etc – Recoverable value added tax.– Expenses which are recoverable through other

funding mechanisms– Re-purchase of equipment originally procured

through other funding mechanisms – Normal office equipment

26 Nov 1015

Funding Modalities

• Project funding: €50K – €200K

• Project duration: 1yr – 3yrs

• Funding restrictions– Up to 75% for individual participant– Up to 75% for funding category– Up to 25% for Maltese Public Bodies

• Funding levels– Public, Academic, NGO: 100%– Business: 75%

26 Nov 1016

Funding Modalities cont.

• Allocation of funding– Project Structured in stages (12 months per stage)

– Advanced payments in tranches

– Initial advanced payment 100%

– Further payments depend on reporting

– Retention of 10% of total project grant

– Retention of 20% for single-stage projects

26 Nov 1017

R&I Programme 2011Project Considerations

26 Nov 1018

Financial Considerations

• Participants must maintain separate financial accounts and separate bank account

• Actual costs with fiscal receipts

• Costs determined in accordance with usual accounting and management procedures

• Expenses must be consistent with principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness

• Refundable expenses limited to allocation

26 Nov 1019 28 Oct 1019

Importance of IP

• Ownership of IP and all rights rests with participants

• Consortium IP agreement must be signed within 3 weeks of receiving evaluation result

• Start discussions early

• Get help– The IP office at UoM [email protected]– Patenting Office

26 Nov 1020

Other Issues

• Significant events – inform MCST

• Withdrawal of participant – agree with MCST for reallocation or replacement

• Default – MCST entitled to withdraw funding and claim refund

26 Nov 1021

R&I Programme 2011Changes to Programme

26 Nov 1022

• Project Management and Consultancy Costs– Target 7% of overall budget– Limited to a maximum of 10% of overall budget

• Dissemination and Externalization by Project Participants – Coordinators to include but budgeted separately under ‘other’

expenses: • 2 articles per year (min) to be featured in local publications • Half-day event (min) to present project results.• Local externalisation events encouraged but limited to be held at

MCST and exclude food other than light refreshments

• IP agreement– Application process will require more details at an early stage

The National R&I Programme Changes to Programme

26 Nov 1023

R&I Programme 2011Evaluation Criteria

26 Nov 1024

Evalution Criteria Marking and Thresholds

• Evaluated on 4 criteria

• Each criterion allocated maximum of 5 marks

• No weighting

• Threshold of 3 for each criterion

• Overall threshold of 14

26 Nov 1025

Evaluation Criteria

1. Programme Objectives– Priority sectors– Industry Academia Collaboration

2. Concept and Approach– Workplan

3. Quality of Consortium– Knowledge and skills– Balanced participation and funding

4. Potential Impact– Commercialisation – Spillover effects– Cost Benefits– Licensing

Maximum of 5 marks per criterion

Maximum of 5 marks per criterion

Threshold of 3 marks per criterion

Threshold of 3 marks per criterion

Overall Threshold of 14 marks

Overall Threshold of 14 marks

26 Nov 1026

Four Evaluation Criteria

1. Programme Objectives– Degree of fit with priority sectors– Extent of collaboration between academia and industry– Addresses a genuine need for knowledge transfer

2. Concept and Approach– Conceptually sound– Clearly defined objectives, ambitious but achievable– Clearly defined deliverables– Proposes suitable actions

26 Nov 1027

Evaluation Criteria cont.

3. Quality of Consortium– Participants have necessary knowledge and skills– Balanced participation and funding

4. Potential Impact– Application and uses of research and deliverables – Commercialisation of Project results.– Roadmap for realisation of benefits– Spillover effects– Other Benefits

• Cost Reduction• Licensing• Networking• Organisational Benefits

26 Nov 1028

R&I Programme 2011Submissions & Timeframes

26 Nov 1029

Process

• Pre-registration

• 2-stage submission and evaluation process

• Shortlisting stage– Lightweight preliminary proposal– Estimates of timeframes, costings

• Selection stage– Full project proposal– Details of participants– Activities, timeframes, detailed budgets and distribution– Draft IP Agreement

13/01/2011

13/01/2011

03/02/2011, noon

03/02/2011, noon

07/04/2011, noon

07/04/2011, noon

26 Nov 1030

Submissions of Proposals

• Electronic Submissions to [email protected]

• OneOne single file in Ms Word (.doc) format (without signatures)

• OOnene single file in Portable Document Format (.pdf) (includes a scanned signed copy of the Participant Details Section for each participant)

• Files limited to 5MB per file

• All received proposals acknowledged by email

26 Nov 1031

Timeframes

MilestoneStandard Schedule

R&I Programme 2011

Budget Announcement followed by pre-announcement of Launch Oct – Nov October – November 2010

Launch Announcement & Info Session Nov Wk 4 Friday, 26 November 2010

Additional Information Session Dec Wk 1 Friday, 03 December 2010

Pre-registration Cut-off Date Jan Wk 2 Thursday, 13 January 2011

Deadline for First Stage Submission Feb Wk 1 Thursday, 03 February 2011, noon

First Stage Evaluation Results Mar Wk 2 Friday, 11 March 2011

Deadline for Second Stage Submission Apr Wk 1 Thursday, 07 April 2011, noon

Second Stage Evaluation Results Jun Wk 3 Friday, 17 June 2011

Signing of Grant Agreement (incl. IP) Jul Wk 2 By mid July 2011

26 Nov 1032

Getting Involved

• Submit your own proposal– Max length of proposal– Clarity and conciseness

• Get in touch with Academia – allow enough time for signatures

• Get in touch with MCST for Assistance– discuss your proposal with us before submission

26 Nov 1033

Run through Preliminary Application Form

26 Nov 1034

Q&A Session

26 Nov 1035

Thank You

For Further Information Contact:

Eric Flask

Director, National Funding UnitMalta Council for Science and TechnologyVilla Bighi, BighiKalkara, KKR1320

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]: (356) 2360 2123Fax: (356) 2166 0341 Web: www.mcst.gov.mt

NOTE: Additional / Repeat

Info Session Friday 3Friday 3rdrd December December,

at 13.30 at MCST